Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Writing Update | Smashwords Summer/Winter Sale July 1-31 #fantasy

Happy Wednesday!

I have to admit July has been a really good goals completion month.

I have updated my social media pages, websites, and blog to their new looks. I have consolidated quite a few of my pages on my blog with pages on my author website. Doing so means I'll have to update in fewer places. I still have a couple more drawings I want to finish, but they're not needed until 2016, so I have plenty of time to draw and color them.

I've also been writing. Every. Single. Day. I wrote more this month than I wrote during the past six months combined. It's been amazing to get back in the swing of things. And I'm working on not one project but two. Yes, you read that right. Two projects.

Marked (The Fate Challenges #1.5) is my main project. So far I've written almost 10,000 words and am a third finished. If I keep this up, then I might be able to finish the first draft of Marked by late August/early September.

My second project is a new one. The series is called The Gaia Project, and the first "episode" is titled The Mission. I figure The Gaia Project will be a serial with episodes and seasons. The premise is what if a colony ship plans to colonize a super-habitable planet where alien dinosaurs live. The first season will focus on six characters and their scouting mission to discover what happened to the first team the space colony sent down to the surface. For The Mission, I have written almost 6,000 words and am on chapter three out of nine. I'll likely finish this first episode by the end of September. Maybe. I don't have a scene by scene outline yet, so I'm winging it a bit for now and will see if I continue writing this project or choose to place it on the back burner and try another one later on.

So my goals for August are:
Marked - Continue writing this novella told from Liam's point of view and in The Fate Challenges series (YA Epic Fantasy).
The Mission - Continue writing this first episode in the science fiction series The Gaia Project.
Mayhem in the Air - The stories in the UR anthology have been written and edited. We're in the proofreading stages, but as I get the final stories from their authors, I'm going to compile the collection and work on a final proofread. My urban fantasy story "Paper Lanterns" is in this anthology.

So what are your goals for August?

2015 Stats (1/1/15-7/21/15): 31,118 words written and 1,176 pages edited

The Smashwords Summer/Winter Sale runs through July 31st. You can purchase Reborn and People of Foxwick and Their Neighbors for 50% off and download A to Z Flashes of Foxwick for free with coupon code SW100. The Untethered Realms group has also placed Fantasy Uprising on sale for 75% off and our first anthology Twisted Earths for free with the SW100 code.

41 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

That's awesome you've been writing so much. When you're on a roll, you have to go for it.

Christine Rains said...

Fantastic that you're doing so well! I love the new bookworms and I can't wait to read The Gaia Project. :) Did I send you my final version of the UR story yet? My brain has been fried lately. =P

S.A. Larsenッ said...

How did I miss your new face lift??? I love what you've done with this place. It looks awesome! I've been contemplating a clean slate, too. Just not sure what I want. And wow...you've been busy. Good for you! Congrats on all the writing.

Catherine Stine said...

Kudos for writing every day!!! That is the best thing ever!

Leandra Wallace said...

Good luck on your goals! And I love the new header, so cute. =)

Natalie Aguirre said...

You're always so productive. Congrats on writing everyday! Love your new blog design.

Anonymous said...

Glad to hear you're in the swing of things. It's a great feeling, eh? I've had my nose to the editing grindstone. Last week, I was at it every day. Right now, I'm writing a little short to go with a story that a few beta readers have.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

I'm on a writing binge right now, too. I hope to finish this third story by the end of the month and then start work on the fourth and final one.

Sarah Foster said...

Hooray for writing every day! I should probably be doing that...

Murees Dupè said...

Congratulations on all the progress and getting so much writing done. You go girl!

M Pax said...

Glad you've made so much progress and have been writing every day. I'm back at it this week. Set a deadline with my editor and contracted with a proofreader, so I'll be typing away in August.

Nick Wilford said...

Sounds like you've hit a winning streak! Writing every day and on two projects to boot. And the new design is great. Keep up the good work!

Nas said...

All the best! Sounds you are a winning streak!

Tyrean Martinson said...

Wow! Way to go with your writing! My goals for August include vacation, tons of revision and some writing.

Sandra Cox said...

You go, girl!!!! I love your premise for the Gaia project.

Anonymous said...

You're on a roll. I'm glad this month has been wonderful for you. I've had months like that.

Heather R. Holden said...

The new look for your blog, etc. is so cute! And wow, congrats on all the productivity lately! It's always nice to have a surge of creativity like that. Wishing you the best of luck with all your August goals! :)

Cathy Keaton said...

Writing every day--that's the key! It really works if you do your best to write every day. Congrats on that and on the new writing project. It sound really cool, like a sci-fi TV show.

Sandra Cox said...

I've got my rewrites turned in to my editor and waiting for the next go round, and cleaning up a novella for an Indie set.

Romance Reader said...

Yay! Well done you!

Nicola said...

Really pleased you've been writing so much this month, Cherie. My August Goal is to do a lot more writing. I've been off target and thinking too much throughout July. Have a great weekend.

Deniz Bevan said...

Sounds great! Love the dinosaur colony idea.
Good luck with your summer sale!

Nas said...

Well done you! My August is completely full! I'm doing Margie Lawson's 5 Day Immersion Master Class, onto the RWA Australia conference then to the RWA New Zealand Conference...trying to catch a breath!

Sandra Cox said...

Hope you had a great weekend, Cherie.

Anonymous said...

I like the new look, Cherie. Always good to freshen things up every now and then, right? Keep up the good work!

cleemckenzie said...

Writing every day and updating your social media! I'd say you're having a great summer, Cherie.

Sandra Cox said...

Are you still writing every day, Cherie?

Cherie Reich said...

So far, Sandra. At the moment, I've written an average of 700 words per day. :)

TBM said...

Wonderful news all around and great job writing every day. That's not easy!

DMS said...

Wow! I thought you got a lot of writing done before and now I am blown away! You got a ton of writing done. I wish I was getting as much done (even with a blog break I still feel behind). My goal for August is to be at least half done with the MG book I have been working on- more than half done would be even better. :)

Look at those awesome sales too! Sharing!
~Jess

alexia said...

Nice word count! I'm about to plunge into final edits on my novel coming out in October since everything is squared away for my novelette coming out next week. Going to try to write some travel pieces in August too and break into that scene. It'll be interesting :)

Liz Blocker said...

What's your secret to being so productive in the summer? This is always my least productive time - all I want to do is play :)

Crystal Collier said...

I'm so glad July was productive for you! (And rather jealous.) I suppose we all have our seasons, but can I borrow some of your motivation? ;)

Cherie Reich said...

Liz, I'm typically not very productive in the summer, but I knew I had to do something different if I was going to get back into writing, so I created a daily routine (10-15 minutes for project #1 and 5-7 minutes for project #2). I can write for longer periods of time, but I have to write at the very least the bare minimum.

Stephanie Faris said...

I'm in awe of your productivity. Amazing! Keep going!!!

Carrie Butler said...

You're on fire! :D

Mark said...

Dang, you have been good about you goals! I'm mainly just trying to get my edits back to my publisher and catch some sleep when my newborn isn't awake...neither goal has quite been met yet;)

Sandra Cox said...

Happy Monday, Cherie.
Hope the sales are going well.

Misha Gerrick said...

My big goal is to write 15k words (and finish a rewrite to a NA Dystopian I've been writing.) The second is to submit my anthology story. :-)

Anonymous said...

Wow, that's a lot of writing! I haven't been able to write that much in a long time. My goals for August are just to get back into the swing of things. Finish DoF and its edit. Write up and send out a few short stories. Actually finish reading a book.

Sandra Cox said...

Just stopped by to say 'hey'. Hope your muse is sitting on your shoulder and whispering in your ear.